When The Cabinet Is Ruth-less

That's politics, isn't it?

Gordon gives the speech of his life, gives everyone in the Party a bit of confidence for the next General Election, and puts the pressure firmly onto David Cameron and the Tories for their Conference next week.

And then in the early hours of the morning, news leaks out that Ruth Kelly wants to step down from the Cabinet.

In politics, timing is everything. It's not clear who leaked the information to the press, but they did the Party a massive disservice. Instead of talking about Gordon's performance, talking about some great new policies or talking about the lack of some great new Tory policies (or actually any policies at all from the Tories), we are talking about Ruth Kelly standing down.

It doesn't really matter if it is for personal or political reasons that she wants to go, all that is being reported today is that she wants to leave and that the Prime Minister has been weakened - again - by his own side.

When queueing for the Leader's Speech in the exhibition hall, I did wonder whether the organisation for getting people into the auditorium was a metaphor for the situation the rebels in the Party are putting us into right now: No-one seeming to know what direction they should go in, a couple of contradictory announcements that gets everyone into a panic, a melee followed by a lull, and then all of us being forced to shuffle towards what could have been a massive anti-climax.

Although of course, yesterday's speech wasn't a massive anti-climax.

The plotters must have banked on a below par speech to hang their dissatisfaction on. But it never happened. Therefore this leaked resignation (or more accurately news that Ruth Kelly will step down at the next Government reshuffle) just looks a bit petty.

Talking of the queueing yesterday, I was stood in the queue directly inbetween straight-talking MP Martin Salter (may God bless him and all his progeny) and Barry Gardiner (one of the rebels who has tried to destabilise the Government over recent weeks).

Now I've always quite liked Barry, despite my constant leg-pulling. He is a very amiable and affable guy, and was actually a constituent of mine when I was a Labour PPC in SW Herts in the 2005 election. But I fundamentally disagree with him on his views of Gordon and I don't agree with how he has acted in recent weeks. From the tone of conversation yesterday, I get the impression that Martin Salter probably feels similarly - but with a bit less underlying positive feeling. Let's just say it was an interesting place for me to be stood!

Anyway, I always suspected Barry Gardiner may be a plotter. ;-)

John Prescott had the right idea, working his way up and down the tired and increasingly fractious queue (btw, why is it that the Party always fails to adequately sort out the queueing system for the Leader's Speech? It's not like you don't know it's going to happen. And all you end up doing is making everyone really tired and angry, before an incredibly important speech where you need them to be right behind your Leader. It makes no sense. Perhaps it is another conspiracy.). Prezza like Gordon also on top form, joking and wise-cracking with all and sundry.

He was persuading people to war "Go 4th" stickers and get behind the Leader. "Come on wear a sticker, it'll get you in quicker. Come on, love, there you go, get that put on you." Yes, he is a legend, but he has got it right.

We need to be 100% behind our Leader and our Party. This constant chipping away and destabilising going on at the moment will lead to one certain thing if it continues: Opposition.

A long period of Opposition.

Sort it out - there are more important things than your own precious egos and careers. And if you don't realise that, rebels, you should just go. And soon.
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